A quote from the XXXXXXXXXXXX Elementary School 2008-2009 Student/Parent Handbook

“…

Right to a safe and orderly learning environment

Rights of student

Every student has a right to be in a school environment that is safe, conducive to learning, and in which he/she feels respected and protected.

Right of staff

Every staff member has a right to be in a school environment that is safe, conducive to learning, and in which he/she feels respected and protected.

Violence in schools

Violence is when anyone inflicts or threatens to inflict physical or emotional injury of discomfort upon another person’s body, feelings, friendships, or possessions.

We believe

No one is entitled to be violent in any form. No form of violence/bullying will be tolerated in school, at school activities, or by anyone at school.

…”

“…

School Rules

Keep hands and objects to yourself

Walk and use a quiet tone of voice in the school

Respect others and use appropriate language

Follow directions and reasonable requests by adults

Respect school property

No gum chewing at school

No suckers or candy on sticks

…”

Education isn’t a “right”. The only rights that are guaranteed are covered by the CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES and the BILL OF RIGHTS. The word “right” is flung around inappropriately where it does not apply. Education is a privilege or an entitlement by virtue of it’s existence and payment for from public taxes, individual payment to private educational institutions or homeschooling.

Soooooo. If we apply the lad’s situation against the school “rights”. I look at them as a documented “entitlement” as it relates to the school.

The school’s “rights/entitlements” do NOT in any way, shape or form supercede the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

In short?

“…SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED…”

If you go back and review the entry that outlines the circumstances surrounding the treatment of our lad? I see a pantload of INFRINGEMENTS.

Let’s have a quick look at the school “rights”…

Rights of student

Every student has a right to be in a school environment that is safe, conducive to learning, and in which he/she feels respected and protected.

He wore a t-shirt that promoted his right as an American citizen. Rights that include him at all times in the US.

Without exception.

His choice of a t-shirt was not a violation of dress code. His treatment by removal from the learning environment, co-ercion to wear his clothing inappropriately and in front of other people, his peers, was not educational. It was arbitrarily punative and without benefit of CONSTITUTIONALLY guaranteed fundamentals of justice.

The actions by the school and it’s employees FAILED to respect him. They FAILED to protect him by respecting his CONSTITUTIONAL rights and protecting his CONSTITUTIONAL rights as any decent adult must do for our children in order for them to learn and understand so that one day when they take their adult place in society, they will carry on with upholding, respecting and preserving those CONSTITUTIONAL rights that are the foundation of the United States of America. The unique document that makes America stand above the shoddy tin-pot dictatorships that infect the world.

Violence in schools

Violence is when anyone inflicts or threatens to inflict physical or emotional injury of discomfort upon another person’s body, feelings, friendships, or possessions.

This one is simple. When we asked why his t-shirt was on backwards? He became agitated. Agigation is an emotional reaction.

The school and it’s employee caused that reaction by it’s actions contrary to his emotional well-being.

Again. He was singled out, removed from class (disruption of his education), coerced by an employee/agent of the school who was not his parent, subjected to whatever transpired and coerced to wear his clothing in an inappropriate manner in front of his peers.

The employee/agent FAILED to contact his parents about the matter and subjected him to questioning and coercion without benefit of “counsel”. An accused American has the right to Counsel or representation when questioned/interviewed or interrogated. The school FAILED to recognize his CONSTITUTIONAL right to such and FAILED to arrange such by contacting us.

The school FAILED in respecting that right by FAILING to contact us so that we could attend and deal with the matter. They again FAILED in that respect by FAILING to send a note home with him to inform us of the situation. Essentially the school FAILED him by exposing him to further mistreatment and violations of his CONSTITUTIONAL rights.

For all intents and purposes…I am of the strong opinion that the school hid the situation from us. Thus interfering with our parental obligations towards him. Our obligation to provide, nurture and PROTECT him from harm by others.

The school FAILED it’s own policy and “rights” to protect him from harm. Instead, they inflicted harm and exposed him to further harm in his development from child to adult. To a degree the school FAILED in an action now that sets a path to what leads to later for him as person.

The school FAILED to respect him as an individual with CONSTITUTIONAL rights by bullying him into wearing his clothing in an inappropriate manner in front of his peers.

The school FAILED in protecting his friendships. Children aren’t stupid. In a social setting, like school, they detect differences and form opinions, whether they conciously recognize it or not. That alters and influences their social interaction and opinions. That impedes positive development. The school FAILED to protect him from social harm.

We would have gone to his aid in a very expeditious manner. We have a parental obligation to him.

His attending a public school does NOT relieve us of that parental right to his well-being. It is an implied agreement that he is “turned over” to what are supposed to be “responsible adults” for the purpose of education and not mistreatment or the violation of his CONSTITUTIONAL rights by the school, it’s employees/agents or others. It is implied that he will be protected. They FAILED.

He also has the right to silence, as guaranteed under the Fifth Amendment. Again. The US CONSTITUTION guarantees him that right as an American, whether as a child or an adult. They FAILED to recognize and respect that right when the Counsellor began to interview/interrogate/coerce/judge/convict/sentence him.

We believe

No one is entitled to be violent in any form. No form of violence/bullying will be tolerated in school, at school activities, or by anyone at school.

Simple.

The school and it’s employees/agents practiced “violence/bullying” against our lad. Their “no tolerance” view should be and must be turned towards themselves for their FAILING conduct.

Their INFRINGEMENT of his CONSTITUTIONAL rights, in my opinion, is the grossest breach of the entire situation.

School Rules

Keep hands and objects to yourself

Walk and use a quiet tone of voice in the school

Respect others and use appropriate language

Follow directions and reasonable requests by adults

Respect school property

No gum chewing at school

No suckers or candy on sticks

Simple.

The school and it’s employees/agents violated their own rules concerning “respect” and “reasonable requests”. They FAILED to respect him as an individual American with CONSTITUTIONAL rights and made unreasonable requests of him (remember the “emergency clothing” they keep at the school in the event of accidents that could have easily replaced his t-shirt.) to turn his clothing inside out.

They FAILED to abide by their rules or the CONSTITUTION, which supercedes any lower level “rules” that exist.

The school and it’s employees/agents FAILED him as adults and fellow Americans. How many other American children have been FAILED, unknowingly in the past or currently by actions such as this?

At any school in America or where the protections of the US CONSTITUTION and the BILL OF RIGHTS are in force?

As noted above, this situation occurred over a t-shirt that depicted the NRA, promoted a CONSTITUTIONAL right and had firearms on it. Someone arbitrarily decided (not covered under the dress code) that was unacceptable.

Let’s go outside the box for a moment. While at the school I noticed several objects, including one made of wood hanging on the wall.

Say for a moment I was to agree with them (no chance there) concerning “weapons”. I guess I will have to demand that any and every object, item or thing in the school that could be misused as a weapon be removed, for the children’s safety of course. There is a “no violence” policy afterall and we cannot allow any potential item to be made available for an act of violence or even consideration for the employment of in an act of violence.

Gee whiz. The teachers and other students will have to be removed too (a person can grab another person and use them to inflict violence on another person.)

OK. That’s kind of overreaching. I’ll allow that using another person’s body as a weapon can be difficult. So I’ll meet them half-way. No one can be allowed any appendages (arms and legs) while in school. That will eliminate any person from being able to perform an empty-handed strike or kick of another person.